(File Photo of an American Flag)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Patterson Township, PA) A traveling tribute to more than 58,000 American military members who gave their lives in service to their country called the Moving Wall during the Vietnam War is coming to Patterson Township from July 16th-July 20th.  

This wall is a half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. which travels around the country each year for people to see it and pay their respects. 

According to Kayla Hall, an administrative assistant for Patterson Township who is involved with the group, a group effort by Patterson Township, Patterson Heights, White Township, Franciscan Manor, the Vietnam Veterans Association and the Beaver County Commissioners has arranged to bring the Moving Wall to the Beaver Falls area for America’s 250th anniversary.

An opening ceremony for The Moving Wall is scheduled for July 16th at 10 a.m. at Franciscan Manor. Hall stated that this opening ceremony will include a wreath laying and the reading of names of the 77 individuals from Beaver County listed on the memorial as killed or missing in action in Vietnam.

This memorial will stay open for 24 hours a day until the closing ceremony takes place at 12 noon on July 20th.

Onsite parking will not be available at Franciscan Manor, but visitors can park at the Patterson Township Fire Department and walk a short distance to the memorial.

Hall also confirmed that those who need handicapped accessible parking should park at the Patterson Primary School and take a shuttle to the memorial.

Volunteers are also needed to help with the event, including site volunteers that can assist during the 24-hour operation of the wall and help visitors that are looking for specific names on that memorial.

You can volunteer by signing up online at the Patterson Township website (click here), call 724-843-8339 or email accounting@pattersontwp.com.